Separator for electrolytic cells



r 'l. H..' LEVIN SEPABATQR FOR ELECTROLYTIC CELLS. APPLICATION. FILED APR. 21, 19!!)- Patented Jan. 18,1921.

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a a a v set forth and described,

per portion of a cell embodying a of the diaphragm, with a resultant impurity in the gases due to the admixture of a small percentage of one gas with the other.

A further advantage of a sepa 'ator made in accordance with my invention, is that it may be effectively used in a structure of small compass and may be embodied in a structure wherein 1 may secure all of the advantages of the usual tortuous passage for permitting the circulation of the electrolyte, while causing the flowing electrolyte to pass throu h a longer path, thus increasing the duratlon of the flow, with a resultant increased opportunity ior the arate from the liquid.

The invention consists primarily in a sepa- 'ator for electrolytic cells embodying therein a substantially horizontally extending tubular member open at both ends and establishing communication between diil'erent bodies of liquid in the cell, whereby with the flow of liquid containing gas bubbles through the tube, said gas bubbles will accumulate upon the inner wall of said me1nher and will burst while therein and be discharged theret'rom in the form of gas; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter and more particuclaims hereto apto seplarly pointed out in the pended.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1. is a fragmentary view of the upseparator made in accordance with my invention, the cell' casing being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, upon an enlarged scale, of a separator mechanism establishing communication between different electrolyte chambers in the cell, and y,

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a separator used connection with the ieed water attaclr in ment.

Like lette refer to the several views. In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the invention is illustratwl as being applied to a uni-polar cell having a casing a carrying a metallic frame 7) supporting a diaphragm c, said frame and said diaphragm dividing the lower portion of the casing a into two separate electrolyte compartments or chambers, and said frame dividing the upper portion of said rasing into two sepa ate gas compartments or chambers in the usual and well known manner The diaphragm c is made of asbestos, or other absorbent gas impervious material.

Leading from the gas compartments or like parts throughout chambers within the casing (I) are gas oi'ftalcc pipes (Z and c, the casing also having mounted therein, upon opposite sides of the diaphragm, electrodes of opposite polarity, the terminals 7' and g of which appca r in the ac companying drawings.

' it is also necessary In electrolytic cells tor the generation of oxygen and hydrogen, it is essential not only to provide for the circulation of electrolyte throughout the cell, and to provide for the separation of the gas bubbles in suspension in this electrolyte during its passage from one side of the diaphragm to the other, but i to provide means whereby the electrolyte may ilow i'roni its chamber into the filling aiizu'lnncni, and the as bubbles may be separated ihcrci'roin bciore they escape from the cell through this aitachment. Since the object to be accomplished is the separation of the gas bubbles from the electrolyte which is in circulation during the operation oi the cell. it is apparent that thc same means is applicable. whether this circulation be betwccn the electrolyte chambers upon opposite sides of the diaphragm or between one of these chambers and the iill cup, or whether the separator be used for both these pmrposcs.

'ith this condition in mind, i will first describe a separator used in connection with the water feed system, and then the utiliza tion of this same type of scunzraton ior facilitating the circulation of the electrolyte between diil'crent electrolyte chambers in the cell.

This separator con'iprises a casing it partially submerged in the liquid in its electrolyte chamber, and open at the top so as to cou'umulicnte with the gas chamber within the cell. lliihin the casing /I is a partition 7: forming a tortuous passage through said casing composed oi two branches l1 and /r". and a connecting passage /1" between the branches /2-' and /l'' and about one end oi lhc partition lei". heading into one oi the branches as h is a duct /z comnnniicaiing with a fill cup or other storage dcvico i'or ihc iced water. through the pipe 71". this duct iorming a discharge at one cud oi the tortuous passage. Located in the branch /1" is a small tube 1' open at both ends so as to estab lish communication between the body oi' liquid within the electrolyte chamber in which the casing 71, is situated, and the body of liquid within said casing. ()no end oi the tube i passes through an opening in, and opens outwardly of the casing h adjacent the passage 7L". and the other end thcrcoi' discharges within said branch 715. By this construction the liquid in flowing from the electrolyte chamber within the cell toward the iill cup, must pass through the tube 1', being dischargediherefrom into one end oi' the tortuous passage 1 and 11, through the cniilc length of which it must pass beiore entering the duct/1",

Referring now to the adaptation oi the separator to permit the circulation of the electrolyte between the electrolyte chambers upon opposite sidcs oi the diaphragm r, 1 use the same construction as hcretoi'orc described, except that the duct h and pipe h are omitted so that the discharge at one end of the tortuous passage will be through an tirely independently of the other as to the a separation of the gas from the electrolyte,

their conjoint use being as heretofore stated, merely forthe p'iarpose of permitting the electrolyte to flow'in either direction.

The operation of the herein described separator is substantially as follows.

As the electrolyte flows from the 'electro-/ lyte chamber in the cell in which it is situ' ated, it must enter the casing it through one open end of the tube t. Since the casing It is always partially submerged in the electrolyte in its chamber of the cell, with each fluctuation of pressure in this chamber, there will be a movement of the electrolyte either to or from the basing 7L through the tube i, and when the movement is from the electrolyte chamber into the casing, the flowing electrolyte will contain in sus ension therein, a large number of small gas ubbles.

Owing to the tendency'o these bubbles to adhere to the inner wal of the tube 2', particularly at the top thereof, a large percentage of the'gas bubbles, notwithstanding the movement of the liquid, will accumulate within the tube upon the walls thereof, where 7 they will rapidly merge into larger ,bubbles and ultimatel burst, so that they will pass from said tu e into the branch k in the form of gas or large bubbles instead of small bubbles sus ended in the liquid. The circulation of t e electrolyte is ordinarily very Jslow, sothat the likelihood of any substanvtial number of small bubbles passing through the tube is small. In the event, however, that such bubbles remain in the electrolyte as it enters the branch if, the tortuous passage if, if and it between the end of the tube'and discharge duct hior opening j, will afford a sufiicient length of flo' of this liquid to insure a substantially complete separation of the gas bubbles therefrom before the liqpid passes through said d lot or opening.

he gas thus separated from the liquid will escape through the open top of the casing 7L into the gas compartment and thence ulti mately be withdrawn from the cell through the ofl'take pipe (Z or e. If the flow of the liquid be in the opposite direction, or from the casing h to the electrolyte chamber within the cell, and there be any gas or gas bubbles within the tube 2' they will flow through that end of the tube communicating with the electrolyte' chamber of the cell, and hence be delivered to the associated gas chamber. When the electrolyte is flowing from the electrolyte the gas from the liquid, the other separator merely serving as a duct through which the liquid flows, but when the flow is in the opposite direction, the functioning of the separators is reversed.

In addition to the foregoing characteristics", a, separator made in accordance with my invention insures an increased length of flew ofthe liquid therethrough, as compared with that of the ordinary separator, which increase is measured by the length of the tube This permits a desir d compactness in the separator without any increase in the width thereof, which is a material factor, since the space available for the separators is limited by the distance separating the active surfaces of the electrodes of different po larity, which distance is predetermined in the design of the cell, and more or less controls'the internal resistance of the cell.

The obliquity of the end of the tube within the casing 71 is merely to facilitate the egress of the gas therefrom.

Ibelieve it to be broadly new, in a separator for electrolytic cells to provide a tubular member adapted to permit the how of the liquid therethrough from one body of liquid to another, and to effect a separation from the liquid of at least a substantial volume of gas bubbles contained in the flow ing liquid, while it is within this tube, and intend to claim such broadly.

It is not my intention to limit the inven' tion to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied to adapt the invention to different types or de' signs of cells, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, 1s:-

berone end of which &

end of which passes through and opens outwardly of said casing and communicates with the body of the electrolyte in the cell, and the other end of which opens within said passage, whereby the liquid from said first named body may flow through said casing and said tube into the cell, and electrolyte may flow from said cell through said tube, into said passage, gas bubbles contained in the electrolyte being accumulated upon the inner wall of said member, said 7 bubbles bursting while within said tube and being discharged within form ofgas.

3. A- separator for electrolytic cells embodying therein a casing, partially submerged in the electrolyte a passage therein the top of which communicates with the gas compartment in the cell, one end of said passage communicating with one body of liquid, and a substantially horizontally extending tubular. mempasses through and said passage in the .opns outwardly of said casing and comone end thereof, said ing. a tortuous passage within said casing comprising a partition dividing said casing into a plurality of branches connected at passage being open at the top and communicating with the gas compartment within the cell, one end of said tortuous passage communicating with one body of liquid, and a substantially horizontally extending tubular member one end of which passes through and opens outwardly in the cell, having into said-passage, gas bubbles 0011- of said casing and communicates with the body of the electrolyte in the cell, and the other end of which opens within and adjacent the other cnd of said passage, whereby the liquid from said first named body may flow through said casing and said tube into thecell, and electrolyte may flow from said cell through said tube, into said passage, gas

-bubbles contained in the electrolyte being accumulated upon the inner wall of said member, said bubbles bursting while within said tube and being discharged within said passage in the form of gas.

5. A separator for electrolytic. cells embodying therein a casing and means forming atortuous passage within said casing comprising a partition dividing said casing into a plurality of branches connected at one end thereof, said passage being open at the top and communicating with the gas compartment within the cell, a duct adapted to be connected with a storage device for feed water communicating with said passage adjacent one end thereof, and a substantially horizontally extending tubular member one end of which passes through and opens outwardly of said casing and communicates with the body of the electrolyte in the cell, and the other end of which opens within and adjacent the other end of said passage, whereby the liquid from said first named body 'may flow through said casing and saidtube into the cell, and electrolyte may flow from said cell through said tube, into said passage, gas bubbles contained in the electrolyte being accumulated upon'the inner wall of said member, said bubbles bursting while within said tube and being discharged within said passage in the form of gas.

In witness whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature, this 19th day of April, 1919, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC H. LEVIN.

Witnesses F. T. WnN'rwoRn-I, A. E. RnNcpoN. 

